Associated Press

Eaves had a goal, an assist and a fight to lead the Ottawa Senators to a 6-2 victory over the rival Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday night.

The game featured two fights, including one in which Toronto's Darcy Tucker pummeled Eaves to the ice during the second period.

"He ended up with a Gordie Howe hat trick. That's good for him," Ottawa enforcer Brian McGratten said. "I thought that was good for Patty. He got his first career fight."

Eaves said he hadn't dropped the gloves since he was 16.

"It's been awhile," said Eaves, who is generously listed as 6-foot.

Howe - one of hockey's all-time greats - was known for his scoring ability and rough play.

McGratten got the game going by dropping the gloves with Toronto's Wade Belak midway through the first.

"I get all fired up and do stupid things some times," McGratten said.

Mike Fisher, Andrej Meszaros, Antoine Vermette, Dany Heatley and Chris Neil also scored for the Senators, who beat Toronto in the season opener on Oct. 4. Toronto earned a split of that home-and-home set with a 6-0 victory the next day.

The provincial rivals meet again in Ottawa on Thursday.

"The last couple games were pretty calm so it was just a matter of time when something was going to happen," McGratten said. "It didn't get too out of control tonight, but it was pretty good. There was a couple of good fights, so that's always good."

Matt Stajan and Mats Sundin scored for the Maple Leafs, who were booed in the third period and as the final horn sounded.

The Senators jumped out to a 5-0 lead, including three goals in the first.

Fisher skated in on a 2-on-1 before receiving a centering pass and scoring early in the period.

Meszaros' shot from the point beat Raycroft with just over 5 minutes left and Eaves scored a power-play goal on a wraparound with 12 seconds to go.

Vermette streaked toward the net and put a one-timer past Raycroft in traffic early in the second and Heatley made it 5-0 by converting Jason Spezza's pass from the behind the net with a backhanded shot with over 12 minutes left in the second.

Stajan scored his fourth goal of the season on a rebound less than a minute later.

Sundin cut it to 5-2 with a weak shot that ticked off goalie Martin Gerber's glove and in at the beginning of the third. Stajan appeared to score his second goal of the game just over a minute later, but the goal was overturned after replays showed that the puck was kicked in.

Neil made it 6-2 early in the third.

Notes: The Senators have won three straight road games. ... Toronto forward Michael Peca needs one point to reach 400 points in his career.